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THE HOME-LIFE OF A

GOLDEN EAGLE.

~

OF A

GOLDEN EAGLE.

PHOTOGRAPHED AND DESCRIBED

BY

H. B. MACPHERSON

WITH THIRTY-TWO MOUNTED PLATES

SECOND REVISED EDITION

LONDON

WITHERBY & CO. 326 HIGH HOLBORN W.C.
MCMx.

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SMan ingtys

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AUTHOR’S NOTE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

Owing to a sudden illness while the first edition was
going through the press, my notes relating to Plates
27 and 29 became transposed. This mistake has been
corrected in the present edition, and has involved

alterations on pages 38-41.

Plate

LIst OF PIEATES:

1.—There were two eggs in the Eagles’ Eyrie.

2.—A comical pair. (2) The Eaglets held a consultation. (4)
3.—Somewhere below us she was brooding.

4.—The cock lit beside her on the ledge.

5.—Began to remove fouled sticks from the nest.
6.—Sheltering her offspring during a storm,

7.—She stood there in the sunlight watching as though on
guard.

8.—Placed the prey in front of the expectant youngster.
g.—In the evening the Eagle returned to feed her young.
10.—She bent forward to inspect the Eaglet.
11.—At 1.30 the cock dropped in.
12.—Gave the Eaglet a few titbits from its liver.
13.—She came back with a large stick in her beak.
14.—He watched her circling in the depths below.

15.—Watching her Eyrie in the twilight. (a) The cock
jerked a lump of flesh into the nest. (4)

16.—The sleepy youngster emerged from under the rock.
17.—She seemed surprised to find the larder empty.
18.—Father and child.

19.—She offered the infuriated youngster a bunch of heather.

20.—The Eaglet rushed to her feet pecking vigorously at the
carcase.

6

LIST OF PLATES.

Plate 21.—She looked around her in surprise wondering what had

become of her offspring.
22.—The cock watched him enjoying his meal.
23.—Watching for his mother’s return.
24.—Pecking at the prey which she held in her foot.

25.— Mother and son stood side by side on the edge of the
abyss.

26.—Rousing the Eaglet from his siesta.
27.—She carried in her beak a morsel of red flesh.

28.—He was tearing the meat when the cock suddenly
appeared.

29.—Balancing himself insecurely upon a stone.
30.—Giving him a flying lesson.
31.—Turned his head from side to side listening to her call.

32.—The young Eagle spread out his giant wings and vanished
for ever from my sight.

THE HOME-LIFE OF A
GOLDEN EAGLE.

In a wild deer-forest situated in the heart of the
Grampian range, there lies a dark, gloomy corrie, where
the sun penetrates for but a few short hours during
the long summer’s day. At the head of the gorge,
where rocks rise almost perpendicularly from the banks of
a brawling burn, a pair of Golden Eagles had first made
their eyrie in bygone days. Strictly protected by the
proprietors and tenants of the forest, the nest had grown
in bulk from year to year, and when I first climbed the
rock some three years ago, it was a structure of consider-
able size and width. On that occasion I photographed
the young—one egg being addled—at different stages of
his growth, and it was not until the Eaglet had flown
that I began to realize the unique possibilities which
the situation offered to the photographer. I determined,
however, that if in the future the Eagles should return
some attempt should be made to study their habits,
and, if possible, to obtain a series of pictures illustrating
the progress of the Eaglets, and showing the most
characteristic attitudes of their parents from the time
when incubation commenced until the young were
ready to leave the nest.

Three years passed by, and at length, on April 23rd,
1909, the welcome news arrived that the eyrie was again
occupied, and that the Eagle was sitting hard on two
eggs. The head stalker, to whose courtesy I owed
this information, reported that one of the eggs was
almost white, and that he expected only one Eaglet to

8 THE HOME-LIFE OF
be hatched. As he seemed to think that the old birds

were less suspicious than usual, I determined to risk
a visit to the eyrie, though, knowing well that these
birds are more prone to desert their eggs if disturbed
than any of the lesser birds of prey, I was unwilling to
go till incubation was far advanced. The behaviour
of the pair, which, as my ally stated, had been circling
close round his head while he was standing on the ledge,
showed that the time of hatching would not be long
delayed, and on May 3rd, the last day of the only week
of sunshine which was vouchsafed to us in this most
gloomy season, I made a start at daybreak on my bicycle,
laden with cameras and other accessories.

After a long ride over a rough hill-road I reached the
lodge and found the second stalker, to whose able assist-
ance I owed much of my subsequent success, ready to
accompany me to the eyrie. As we entered the corrie
a herd of deer clattered up the steep slopes above us,
and stood on the skyline in the bright sunshine gazing
at us as though well aware that at this season there was
a truce between man and the wild denizens of the hills.
I cross-examined my companion as to the possibility of
photographing the old Eagles, but he seemed doubtful
whether the attempt was likely to be successful. A sharp
walk of perhaps three miles brought us to our destination,
and from a crag on the opposite side of the corrie to
the eyrie we had the satisfaction of seeing the cock sail
over our heads, flapping slowly down the corrie before
gradually rising on upturned wings, until he hovered
almost motionless, a mere speck against the dark blue sky.

It was a wild spot that the Eagles had chosen for
their home, for on both sides of the corrie the cliffs rose
sheer from the edge of a burn, and though now lit
up by the rays of the sun, the gloomy grandeur of the
scene could scarcely be surpassed. Scarred by the
countless storms which had in bygone days swept through
the gorge and their slopes covered by the débris which

A GOLDEN EAGLE. 9

marks the path of the avalanche, the hills around bore
witness to the fact that here, in this lone mountain
fastness, was a dwelling-place meet for the King of
Birds and his royal spouse.

At first glance the position might well seem impreg-
nable to a casual observer, for the nest was situated on
a narrow ledge some two hundred feet above the water,
and at this point the rock was practically perpendicular.
There were, however, two means of reaching the eyrie,
one from above and the other from below. By choosing
the former, by far the easier of the two, we could probably
approach within a few yards of the female if she was still
brooding, but, fearing lest our sudden appearance should
alarm her and cause her to desert, I decided to climb
from below. ‘To active men the task presented no great
difficulties, and a few minutes’ hard work brought us
to the end of a narrow ledge, while the burn roaring at
the foot of the cliff deadened the sound of our footsteps.
Before me the ledge turned abruptly to the right, and
I peeped cautiously round the corner, just in time to
see the female fling herself into mid-air from the nest.
She sailed down the corrie, poised herself majestically
in space beside her mate, then both vanished from our
sight behind the shoulder of a distant hill. There
were two eggs in the Eagle’s eyrie (Plate 1), both worn
and faded through long exposure and incubation, one,
as my friend had stated, being almost white and bearing
a close resemblance to a giant egg of some barn-door
fowl. The fact should here be noted that on no
occasion did I see the Eagle rise from her nest. She
invariably flapped down the corrie close to the side of
the hill, and subsequently either soared gradually
upwards or sat watching us on a point of rock about
half a mile away. During a long experience of Eagles
I have never known the parents return to the eyrie
when a man was near, if the latter was within their
sight, nor have I seen them make the slightest

fe) THE HOME-LIFE OF

effort to drive away the intruder, far less to attack him,
as has sometimes been reported, with wings and feet.
Of all our shy birds the Eagle is the most timid, and
generally remains out of sight for an hour or more if
disturbed from the nest.

There was no food at the eyrie, and the nest was
marvellously clean, while a quantity of fresh heather
had evidently been added recently during incubation.

After photographing the nest and eggs from both
sides, we carefully examined the surroundings and found
a place where, among the stones, the camera might be
hidden on a subsequent occasion to obtain a view of the
sitting bird. A small pile of rocks was therefore arranged
at the spot, so that the Eagles might become accustomed
to the structure which eventually was to conceal the
camera from their sight.

On the 19th of May, after a successful attempt to
photograph a Peregrine Falcon brooding at the far end
of the forest, we again returned to the eyrie, approaching
it, however, from a different direction. The fine
weather had ended abruptly, and the burn at the foot
of the cliff was roaring in spate, fed by the melting
snow-drifts above. There was no sign of the Eagles,
and I climbed to the nest in fear lest others had been
before me and had carried off the eggs. ‘To my delight,
however, both had hatched, and two young Eagles,
evidently about six days old, with eyes newly opened,
surveyed us placidly from their rocky home. They
were a comical pair (Plate 2 (a@)), with large black
eyes and yellowish beaks of huge size tipped with
black. Already their claws were powerful and gripped
one’s finger tenaciously if a chance was given them. ‘The
hindquarters of a rabbit, freshly torn open and partially
devoured, was the only article of food in the eyrie, and
had been placed by the old birds beyond the reach of
the young. The cold, however, was intense, and the
dark lowering clouds above foretold rain or snow. ‘This

A GOLDEN EAGLE. II

was a difficulty which I had not foreseen, for, though the
nest was warmly lined with thick grass and heather, the
Eaglets were extremely sensitive to cold. I therefore
covered them with my cap while the camera was being
arranged, and examined them at frequent intervals to
make sure that they were not suffering from the protracted
absence of their mother. The arrangements for securing
the portrait of the Eagle being complete, a long length
of rubber tubing was affixed, and we stopped to examine
our handiwork. The camera was now completely
hidden among the stones, the lens only being visible.
An ultra-rapid plate was inserted and the shutter set to
jlysec. at F.8, the most rapid speed which could be
risked in the failing light.

We then climbed to the top of the rock and made
our way to asheltered nook nearly a mile down the corrie,
from which, with the aid of the glass, we could command
a view of the nest. Here we waited for an hour and
a half in vain, till suddenly my companion drew my
attention to a dark form flapping slowly across the opposite
face. ‘The Golden Eagle was returning to her eyrie.
Those only who have experienced the fascination of
this most exciting form of sport will understand my
feelings at this moment. Hope alternated with despair
as the Eagle circled round above the nest, then settled
on a rock on the opposite side of the corrie. Here she
sat motionless for perhaps a quarter of an hour, then,
rising again into mid-air, disappeared from sight behind
the hills.

I was now becoming anxious about the young Eagles,
and had it not been for the stalker’s persuasion should
have removed the camera, for the cold was intense and
at this elevation, nearly 3,000 feet, snow was extremely
probable. The question now arose, was this long
absence from the nest part of the Eagle’s everyday
programme, or was she suspicious of the hidden
camera ? Or, perchance, her piercing eyes had discovered

12 THE HOME-LIFE OF

us in our lair among the rocks! The question was soon
answered, for again she soared majestically in from the
south, settled on the same spot, and then, to my delight,
flapped across the corrie to the nest. Here she stayed
for a few seconds, then retired to the other side of the
corrie. After another long interval of fully half an
hour she rose and disappeared once more towards the
south. I now insisted on visiting the nest to see how
the Eaglets were standing the cold, and found them quite
warm and comfortable, the nest being comparatively
sheltered from the wind.

Again we retreated to our hiding place, but before
we reached it the stalker suddenly dropped face down-
wards to the earth, and I followed his example on seeing
the cause of his collapse. We were now on an exposed
top far above the nest, and directly above us were the
two Eagles, soaring and wheeling about thirty yards
over our heads. Hardly daring to breathe I nevertheless
managed to watch the one on my left, while my com-
panion was keeping his eye on its mate. For a time
they hung almost motionless in the sky, then, apparently
both coming to the conclusion that all was not safe,
swooped away again out of our sight. We _ took
advantage of the interval to lunch and to reach
our hiding place, from which, about half an
hour later, we saw the pair approaching at a great
height from the south. This time they showed no
hesitation, and the cock seemed to be driving his mate
towards the corrie, circling round her when she swerved
in the wrong direction, and evidently anxious for her
to return. They both flapped slowly up the corrie
and settled on the face opposite to the eyrie. After
a few short flights up and down the gorge, the female
crossed boldly and settled upon the edge of the nest.
At this point we lost sight of the cock, and it is probable
that he moved off as soon as he saw his mate return to
the young and while we were intently watching her

A GOLDEN EAGLE. 13

movements. At this distance it was impossible to see
exactly what she was doing, but we both agreed that
she was tending the young, probably feeding them on
the remains of the rabbit which we had noticed, for,
as it turned out, she had brought no fresh food with her
to the nest. She then settled herself down, and we
gave her twenty minutes to warm up the Eaglets. Then
began one of the most exciting stalks in my experience.
The first part was easy enough, and we progressed
noiselessly along the skyline above the eyrie without
fear of arousing her suspicions. On reaching the top
of the rock I took off my shoes, and began to descend
with the utmost caution. A single false step or a rolling
stone might arouse her suspicions and render the whole
of our labour fruitless. All, however, went well, although
at one moment the ready hand of my companion arrested
the progress of a stone, which my elbow had moved,
only just in time. Below me, scarcely ten feet beyond
my reach, the bulb connected with the shutter lay,
and as yet the Eagle had not taken the alarm. Some-
where below us, glaring outwards over the abyss, she
was brooding (Plate 3) her young, faithful to her duty,
her fierce eye watching the far side of the corrie
lest any foe should come near. At length the bulb was
in my hand, but even as I leaned forward to grasp
it I lost my balance and slipped towards the abyss.
A firm grip on my ankles from behind saved me
from possible death, and I retained enough presence
of mind to release the shutter. At its click the
Golden Eagle flapped from her nest, and in a few
seconds I stood beside the Eaglets on the ledge.
They were surprised at my sudden appearance from
above and, standing nearly upright, held a consultation
(Plate 2 (4)), posing in such a comical attitude that I
thought it worth recording with the camera. We
now beat a hurried retreat, and left the Eagles in
peace for the day.

14 THE HOME-LIFE OF

A fairly satisfactory picture of the female brooding
having been thus obtained, the eyrie was now left quiet for
nearly a week, during which period I made up my mind
to give up the rest of the summer to the task of making a
complete record of the home-life of our noblest bird of
prey. How far I succeeded it is for my readers to judge.

On the 25th of May, having left the camera at a
Kestrel’s eyrie further down the glen, we visited the Eagles
again, but to my extreme annoyance found that one
Eaglet had vanished. The other, the smaller of the two,
which turned out to be a cock bird, was now strong and
iusty, but the larger one had presumably died and had
been removed by the parents or taken by some vermin
from the nest. There was much speculation as to its
fate, and the possibility of its having been removed by
the old birds to another nest was suggested. This
theory, however, was disproved by the subsequent
behaviour of the parents, and the matter has remained
a mystery till the present day.

On this occasion picks and spades formed part of our
equipment and took the place of the camera which
usually accompanied me on these expeditions, and, after
a fruitless search for the missing Eaglet, we set to work
to excavate and build a hiding place which would conceal
myself and the camera. ‘There was, as before, no sign
of the parents when we arrived, nor did they put in
an appearance during our operations. A carcase of a
grouse, freshly plucked, and disembowelled, and the
hindquarters of a young rabbit, were the only dainties
which we found in the eyrie.

The making of the “ bothy,” as it was afterwards
called by the stalkers, was, however, no easy job, for
the ledge was extremely narrow at the only point which
commanded a view of the nest. Here a false step would
have spelt death, for the cliff below us was almost
perpendicular, and great care had to be exercised to
avoid slipping while the work was in progress. With

A GOLDEN EAGLE. 15

much difficulty a hole about two feet in depth was dug
out, and three rough walls were raised around, the cliff
on the fourth side serving as the other. Covering the
whole with heather and moss to conceal its artificial
character, we returned homewards well pleased with
our progress.

After two days’ rest I again resumed operations and
decided to stay a night in the forest, the weather being
now appalling, the state of the roads rendering the bicycle
almost useless. I may say here that considerably more
than a thousand miles were covered by me in travelling
to and from the nest, and in bad weather the road became
almost impassable. The lessees of the forest, who
courteously placed the lodge at my disposal, saved me
many a weary journey home by their kindness, and on
these occasions gave me every possible assistance that
could be imagined.

On our arrival at the nest at 11 a.m. we had a
magnificent view of the female sheltering her offspring
from the storm in a semi-erect attitude (a photograph
of which on a subsequent occasion I secured), the
remains of two rabbits lying beside her on the ledge.
We now proceeded to roof the hiding place with canvas
covered with heather and sods of turf, and the stalker
devised an opening behind which enabled me to crawl
in with the camera on subsequent occasions. All day
the rain fell in torrents, and we were soon soaked to
the skin. Owing to the cold, which I feared might affect
the young Eagle if we stayed longer, we were unable to
complete our task satisfactorily. Through the gorge the
wind was howling in fierce gusts as we departed, and we
were scarcely half way down the corrie when the female
soared back towards the eyrie through the white wreaths
of floating mist which now obscured the hills from view.

On the following morning I was early afoot, but the
mist was low on the tops and at frequent intervals heavy
showers of sleet came driving up the glen from the north.

16 THE HOME-LIFE OF

At 8 a.m., however, we made a start, and again saw
the female flap slowly away from the eyrie as we
approached. She had evidently just fed the
Eaglet, for he seemed sleepy and contented, while the
torn carcase of a grouse lying beside him showed that
a feast had been in progress. Covering him again care-
fully with my cap, we started work, and rebuilt one of
the walls of the ‘“bothy” which seemed inclined to
collapse. The stones used for this purpose were all
carried and rolled for a considerable distance down the
cliff—a somewhat arduous undertaking.

All being now ready, and two peep-holes having been
arranged, I crawled into the hiding-place, and succeeded
in arranging the camera to my satisfaction. My ally then
closed me in with thick bunches of heather, and, wishing
me luck, took his departure according to my instructions.

For the first time in my life I was now alone
with the Eagles in a hiding-place commanding a view
of the nest. The young Eagle lay asleep, like a
mere bunch of white down, in the huge structure.
The wind moaned in strange, piercing gusts, which
echoed and re-echoed from the rocks, and the burn
roared furiously in spate below. A frail wall of stones
alone separated me from the edge of the cliff, and through
my peep-hole I could see the mist rolling in endless
wreaths along the opposite face, though as yet the nest
itself was clear. An hour passed by and still the
Eaglet slept, protected from the drenching rain by the
ledge of rock projecting from above. At 1.30 p.m.
a dark shadow flitted across the peep-hole, and, peering
cautiously out, I saw the giant bird sitting on the ledge
close to the nest. The Eaglet was now squeaking lustily,
but the mother had brought no food and seemed rest-
less, staying only a few seconds before she flapped away.
Ten minutes later she settled again on the edge of the
eyrie, and seemed quite unsuspicious of my hiding-place.
She was gazing anxiously at the sleeping Eaglet, and,

A GOLDEN EAGLE. 17

with a sudden rush of wings, the cock lit beside her on
the ledge (Plate 4). He had brought with him the
hindquarters of a rabbit, which he carried in one
powerful foot. As if satisfied that all was well, the
pair retired, and I took advantage of the interval to
remove and clean the lens, which had become clouded
by the mist and rain. The dark slides also were swollen
with the wet, and the shelter was dripping in several
places, while I myself, soaked more or less to the skin,
was sitting literally in a pool of water.

At 2.30 p.m. the female returned again, and began to
remove the fouled, dirty sticks from the edge of the
nest (Plate §), carrying them away in her powerful beak.
The Eaglet was now awake and watched her, squeaking
at intervals, while she performed this task. He was
evidently hungry, and had I waited longer I should pro-
bably have seen him fed. On this occasion, however,
she noticed the slight click of my shutter, and, unwilling
to disturb them further, I crawled out into the raging
storm half frozen and stiff with cold. On reaching the
lodge a welcome change and a plentiful repast awaited
me, and, the storm somewhat abating, I started for
home, noting that the tops of the higher hills were now
coated with snow.

The next entry in my diary recalls to my memory
what was perhaps the most fearful storm which I have
ever seen in summer in the Highlands. It was the last
day of May, and the mist hung low to the foot of the
hills. It was raining in torrents, and it took me fully
four hours to reach the lodge. The rain now turned.
to sleet, and a hurricane of wind rattled up the glen.
At 3 p.m. I became weary of inactivity and expressed
my intention of going alone to the eyrie to see if all was
well, being unwilling to ask anybody to accompany me
in such a storm. The young stalker, however, hearing
of my plans, joined me as I started, and we reached the
eyrie again at 4.30 p.m. ‘The mist lay thick around us,

18 THE HOME-LIFE OF

and, like some huge phantom, the Eagle flew away from
the nest as we approached. I had one glimpse of her
before she left the eyrie, and the attitude in which she was
crouching, sheltering the young one from the rain, was
so characteristic that, although as usual soaked to the
skin, I determined to make an attempt to secure the
picture. At 4.45 all was ready, and my companion closed
me in as before. The Eaglet was now squeaking loudly,
and I began to fear that he might suffer from the cold.
Scarcely a quarter of an hour, however, elapsed before the
Eagle flapped in through the mist and settled on the far
side of the nest. The Eaglet tried to crawl towards her,
but as yet his legs were unequal to the effort. The old
Eagle advanced a step and glared at the shelter, for the
first time noticing the projecting lens. Satisfied that all
was well, she settled down in the attitude which I coveted,
half of the Eaglet being hidden below her breast. This
picture (Plate 6) shows clearly the position in which the
Eagle shelters her young when the latter are too large
to be covered in the usual way.

I exposed four plates in quick succession, and then
waited for a short time to see if any further development
was likely to take place. It was a weird experience,
entombed as it were in the bowels of the earth, with
the burn roaring in flood below as the torrent hurled
itself through the corrie, the wreaths of floating mist
around, the rattle of sleet and hail on the rocks, all com-
bined to make up a strange picture, which still haunts
me in my dreams, enhanced by the darkness of the hiding-
place and the gloom around. Opposite me the giant
bird brooding like some spectre conjured up by a wizard’s
hand, but how different was her appearance now from
the glorious Raptor as seen on a bright summer’s day !
Dripping with wet, her feathers draggled, her plumes
matted with the rain, she sat patiently watching the
far side of the corrie, turning her head at intervals towards
the young one below her breast.

A GOLDEN EAGLE. 19

7

At last, during a temporary lull in the storm, she
rose to her feet and began to tear ravenously at the rabbit
which lay beside her. Instantaneous photography was
out of the question and her movements were so rapid
that the time shutter was equally useless. She swallowed
rapidly masses of intestines, and picking out some titbits
from the liver presented them to the Eaglet, which was
now sitting in a half upright position; then, seizing
the carcase by one leg, she disappeared with it into
the mist-wreaths beyond. I took advantage of the
opportunity to escape from my hiding-place, as dusk
was approaching and the snowflakes were now whirling
down the gorge.

“Fine, but dull, with passing showers,” such is the
extract from my diary which describes the following
morning. I reached the eyrie at 7.5 a.m., and again
found the old Eagle sheltering her young. The latter
was gorged, and I subsequently ascertained that at this
stage of the Eaglet’s career he was fed with great regularity
twice a day—at daybreak and about 5 p.m. Occasionally
one of the birds came in with prey at intervals through
the day, the majority of their visits occurring after
noon between 1 and 3 p.m. Scraps of raw flesh were
scattered on the ledge and the remains of a grouse and
two rabbits were to be seen. The hiding-place being
to-day comparatively dry, I settled down comfortably
with two cameras in position to await the course of
events, and, to my delight, the sun broke through the
clouds and for a short time blazed full upon the eyrie.
The Eaglet was still asleep and evidently quite content
to bask in the rays of the sun.

The air now became warmer and the canvas above
me began to dry. The dripping ceased, and for the
first time I sat in comparative comfort. At 11 a.m.
the Eaglet raised himself and turned round towards
the outer edge of the nest, looking intently upwards and
calling loudly to something which evidently moved

20 THE HOME-LIFE OF

from place to place on the opposite side of the corrie.
A few minutes later a shadow crossed the roof of my
hiding-place, and the mother Eagle settled on the ledge.
She had brought no food, and had evidently only looked
in to see that all was well with the young. Her beak
was bloody and small feathers adhering to its edges
showed that she had brought her morning hunt to
a successful finish. She stood there in the sunlight
a picture of perfect grace and symmetry (Plate 7), her
feathers now dry and clean, watching as though on guard,
while the Eaglet squeaked plaintively to her from behind.
Then with one graceful effort she flung herself from
the cliff, and again the Queen of Birds had vanished
from my sight.

Seen in wet and stormy weather the plumage of the
Golden Eagle appears very dark, and one scarcely wonders
that it is known locally as the “ Black Eagle” in many
parts of the Highlands. On such a day as this the
brilliant light seems to tinge each feather with a golden
hue and fills one with admiration for this glorious bird,
which has survived so many dangers and rears her
young in the wild solitudes of this lonely corrie. As she
gazes at the Eaglet her eye seems to change, and a soft
look of mother-love takes the place of the fierce expres-
sion common to all our larger birds of prey. There
are few artists who can draw a picture true to life of
the Golden Eagle. The attitudes of captive birds are
false, their movements cramped, their wings hang
drooping, and their tails are draggled. The Eagle is
a bird which loves solitude, and its home is in the wild
places of the earth.

Again the Eaglet settled himself down and went to
sleep, while, quite involuntarily, I nearly followed his
example, being, however, aroused from a reverie by
the squeaking of the youngster, which, as a friend aptly
put it, “always gave tongue loudly when the old birds
were near.”

A GOLDEN EAGLE. 21

With a rush of wings she came again, and this time
deposited a grouse ready plucked on the ledge. It
was now 3 p.m. and the Eaglet was hungry, but she
evidently considered that it was too early for supper,
and again departed. In less than five minutes the cock
dropped in with another grouse, also plucked clean of
feathers and headless, and as soon as he had departed
the hen returned with a third, and as quickly vanished.
This store of food had evidently been accumulated by
them somewhere outside the eyrie, and I subsequently
discovered several places among the rocks where game
had been plucked, for no bird is ever brought to the
young without being stripped of its feathers. As we
shall see later, hares are sometimes brought unplucked
at another stage, but while the Eaglets are still in the
first down both hares and rabbits are also stripped of fur,
but not skinned, before being brought to the eyrie.
Other places were found later where the refuse from the
nest was deposited, for during the first two months
the eyrie was kept remarkably clean. These ‘“‘ middens ”
were not used for plucking, but were kept for their own
purpose as storehouses for refuse.

The Eaglet was now very excited and would not
settle down again to sleep, searching the sky for his
parents, his eyes rolling with anticipation of the
coming feast. At 3.45 the cock appeared with a
fourth grouse, and turned sideways upon the ledge,
standing upon the prey with both feet. Suddenly,
with a terrific blow of his powerful claw, he ripped
the bird open from breast to tail, and then again took
his departure.

In a few minutes the female returned to the eyrie,
and picked out the grouse which the cock had prepared,
choosing it carefully from among the other carcases.
Seizing it in one foot, she shuffled forward towards
the Eaglet, and placed the prey in front of the
expectant youngster (Plate 8), with its legs sticking

22 THE HOME-LIFE OF

up into the air. The young one was now expecting to
be fed, but she suddenly changed her mind, and flew
away once more.

In the evening, about 6 o’clock, the Eagle returned
once more to feed her young (Plate 9), and I secured
a picture of her in a characteristic attitude. ‘The light
was now failing and dark clouds rolled up from the west,
putting an end to all possibility of instantaneous work.
The scene which followed was, however, well worth a
long day’s patience, for the Eagle picked out the pre-
pared grouse again and carried it to the far side of the
eyrie in her beak. Here, beyond reach of the young one,
she gorged herself upon the entrails, coming forward
at intervals to the Eaglet with a titbit of liver or other
dainty morsel, which he greedily pecked from her beak.
When she herself was satisfied she brought the prey nearer
and proceeded to gorge the youngster till he settled down
contented in the nest. She then seized the remains of the
carcase in her beak and bore it away out of my sight.

A moment later, having disposed of the refuse, she
returned and again settled herself down beside the
Eaglet to shelter him for the night. As this position
had been already photographed, I slipped quietly away
without disturbing her, having placed caps over the
lenses to shield them from the rain.

The most extraordinary feature of the day was the
behaviour of the cock in splitting open a grouse for the
convenience of the female and the young, and I have
often wondered whether this is an exceptional occurrence,
or whether it is common during the earlier stages. It
was certainly never repeated during my observations,
and neither on this nor on any other occasion did I see
the cock himself feed at the nest, though he sometimes
gave the young one a titbit if one was handy.

On June 4th, leaving home at 4 a.m., I found the
mist rising from the tops when I reached the eyrie a few
minutes before 7 o’clock. The sun was_ breaking

A GOLDEN EAGLE. 23

through at intervals and the day promised well, but
a slight touch of frost at dawn had chilled the air. The
old Eagle was sheltering her young, and I crept quietly
into my hiding-place without disturbing her. Her
beak was bloody, and the youngster, evidently gorged,
was lying below her breast in a lethargic attitude.
Beside her was the clean-picked skeleton of a grouse,
and the hindquarters of a rabbit, only partially plucked
and recently killed, had been deposited on the ledge, in
all probability by the cock bird this very morning.
Attempting to arrange the camera for a picture without
disturbing her I unfortunately moved a small stone, and
though the noise was of the slightest, she took alarm
and flew away. The Eaglet, not the least annoyed by
her departure, still dozed peacefully, and I afterwards
ascertained that this was his invariable custom after his
early meal at daybreak.

At 10.12 a.m. the Eagle alighted on the ledge beyond
the nest, and the Eaglet, now thoroughly awake, cried
incessantly, while she stood glaring at my hiding-place.
She was evidently a little suspicious, and I heartily
regretted my attempt to photograph her on my arrival,
but remained quiet in the hope that she would soon regain
confidence. At last, after what seemed an eternity,
she stepped slowly forward, her footsteps sounding clearly
through the still air, turned at right angles and bent
forward to inspect the Eaglet (Plate 10), in an attitude
which I afterwards found to be by no means uncommon
when she brought no prey with her. The object of
these periodical visits throughout the day, on the occa-
sions when no food was brought, seemed to be caused
simply by anxiety for the welfare of the young, for she
never stayed long at the eyrie except when feeding or
sheltering the Eaglet.

Her next visit was at 1 o’clock, when she returned
with a grouse, headless as usual and completely denuded
of its feathers. This she deposited on the edge of the

24 THE HOME-LIFE OF

nest and then turned her attention to the rabbit, which
had been there when I arrived. She tore its two hind
legs apart without the slightest difficulty, and proceeded
to devour one of them, having separated it into two
sections at the middle joint. She swallowed the bones
of this leg and carried away the other with her, pre-
sumably to devour it elsewhere. The Eaglet had
meanwhile been watching her enviously and crying
piteously for food, but she either considered rabbit
too tough for him or thought him unduly greedy,
refusing to feed him till the proper hour. It is
worth noting that she always seemed unwilling
to give the youngster rabbit if grouse was available,
and never gave him portions of the flesh of four-
footed animals until he was able to tear the prey
for himself, offering him only titbits from the liver,
though at this stage she fed him freely with the flesh
of grouse.

At 1.30 the cock dropped in (Plate 11), and the photo-
graph which I then obtained shows him in an attitude
extremely characteristic of anger among the larger
birds of prey. The cause of his furious demeanour was
at the time a mystery, but before leaving the eyrie I
discovered that a tuft of heather had fallen from the
roof of my hiding-place and that a small portion of the
canvas had been exposed. This, though now stained
and weather-beaten, had doubtless attracted his attention,
and he resented it accordingly. However, he soon came
to the conclusion that it was harmless, and carefully
inspected the Eaglet from every point of view, finally
standing for some time on a small rock hardly two feet
from the lens. At length he took his departure, and
in five minutes the female appeared with another
grouse and gave the Eaglet a few titbits from its
liver (Plate 12), wolfing the entrails herself with great
gusto. She then retired, leaving the two grouse for the
evening feed.

A GOLDEN EAGLE. 25

The sun had now vanished behind the clouds and huge
drops of rain began to fall. The corrie became dark
and gloomy and the Eaglet cried ravenously for food,
his small voice echoing at intervals through the howling
gusts of wind which preceded the coming storm. As
if in answer to him, his mother again swooped in and
for the next half hour steadily gorged him with the flesh,
liver and heart of grouse. The light was hopeless
for photography, but I crouched in my hiding-place
fascinated by the sight of this wild creature feeding
her young in my presence, unconscious of the close
proximity of man. She fed herself and the Eaglet
alternately until he crawled back satisfied into the
nest. At that moment a peal of thunder awoke
the echoes of the hills, and through my peep-hole
I saw the Eagle vanish into the swiftly falling mist.
A jagged flash of lightning crossed the small section
of the sky which was within my view and the rain
fell in torrents, while the Eaglet squeaked piteously,
trembling and shivering with the cold. In a few
seconds she returned, and he crept close to her
breast for shelter. She touched him gently with her
beak as though to quiet his fears and to assure him of her
protection. And now peal followed peal and flash
followed flash, while, to add to the tumult, a rock,
loosened by the storm, crashed headlong past my hiding-
place to hurl itself into the burn below. During a gust
of wind which drowned the sound of my retreat. af
crawled away, and thus I left them, the mother Eagle
and her child, to face the storm together throughout the
long watches of the night.

On my next visit to the eyrie I found the Eaglet
gorged and asleep, the parents being absent. He was
literally surrounded by the remains of leverets and
rabbits, but for the most part they were mere skeletons
which had been devoured during the previous day.
In this connection it was noticeable that the leverets

26 THE HOME-LIFE OF

had been brought in whole, and not divided into
two sections. I ascertained later that it was the custom
of the Eagles to bring only the hindquarters of full-
grown hares and rabbits to the nest, while the young of
both these animals were not divided and seldom dis-
embowelled. The forequarters were presumably
devoured in the first case by the parents themselves.

At 7.30 all was in readiness and I prepared for another
long day with the Eagles. It was nearly noon when the
female returned, and on this occasion she brought no
food, but, after a look round the eyrie, decided that the
nest required rebuilding. She first carefully rearranged a
few of the sticks whose position I had altered, and, having
placed them to her satisfaction, flew away for more.
In a few minutes she came back with a large stick in
her beak (Plate 13), and having laid this in a suitable
position, stepped back to inspect her handiwork. She
then picked up a dirty bunch of heather and carried it
away, returning several times for more refuse, and finally
removing all the old skeletons of hares and rabbits with
which the nest had become crowded. This accomplished
she disappeared, returning after a long absence at §.15 p.m.
bringing a fresh grouse in her talons with which to feed
the Eaglet. The latter was, as usual, ravenous, and
she now began to encourage him to feed for himself,
first opening the prey with her powerful beak and
devouring the entrails herself. She never allowed him
to eat the entrails at this stage, but when these were
safely disposed of she held the carcase towards him
in such a position as to make it easy for him to pick out
the liver and other dainties. It was interesting to watch
her gestures and to see with what patience she thus
gave the Eaglet his first lesson in feeding himself. She
then tore the flesh into fragments and, both being
satisfied, flew away.

The 11th of June found me again en route for the
forest—a bitterly cold morning, with driving showers of

A GOLDEN EAGLE. 27

sleet and snow. Having slept long, I was late in arriving
at the nest, and, as I had expected, found both parents
absent and the young Eagle asleep. The wind was
blowing from the north and the cold was intense. The
Eaglet spent most of the morning in his snug quarters
under the rock, but a brief glimpse of sunshine at noon
awoke him from his slumbers. He was now beginning
to use his legs, and his clumsy efforts to walk were exceed-
ingly amusing. For perhaps a second or two he would
stand upright, but the weight of his body generally
overbalanced him when he tried to make a step, and he
fell ignominiously forward. His determination to walk,
however, was very marked, and in the course of an hour
or so his perseverance was rewarded with some measure
of success.

At 2.5 p.m. his mother brought him a grouse, and
seemed surprised to find him standing more or less
upright. She gave him a few titbits from the liver and,
as usual, devoured the entrails herself, but she had
_ evidently no intention of giving him a square meal at
this early hour. At 4.30 she came back and gave him
his supper, still encouraging him to pick out the titbits
for himself, and while she was thus engaged the cock
settled on a stone close to the nest, but too near my
“bothy” for a satisfactory picture. He then flapped
on to the top of my hiding-place and sat there for some
minutes close to my head, showing by this action how
completely the suspicions of the Eagles had been over-
come. Both birds then took their departure, the female
bearing away with her the remains of the carcase of the
grouse.

The next day was comparatively uneventful, the most
noticeable feature being the extraordinary progress which
the Eaglet had made in his walking lessons, but from the
point of view of photography the day was unsatisfactory,
because somehow or other the Eagles had become
suspicious of my hiding-place. Possibly the female had

28 THE HOME-LIFE OF

seen me enter, for on this occasion I had neglected the
precaution of bringing my ally the stalker to walk away
when I was safely hidden.

At 2.5 p.m. the female brought a young hare,
only partially plucked, and deposited it at the far
side of the nest, but she showed great cunning
and evinced a most unreasonable dislike to the lens,
which may possibly have been reflecting the light
at the time. On the stroke of 5, during a heavy
shower of sleet, she came back with a grouse, which
she placed on a ledge beside the nest and _ there
disembowelled it.

She now attempted to decoy the Eaglet from the
neighbourhood of my hiding-place, and the method which
she adopted showed considerable reasoning power. First,
gorging herself on the ledge with the entrails, she made
the Eaglet furious with envy and disappointment, for
he was watching her every movement over the edge of
the nest. She then picked out a piece of liver, walked
up to the side of the nest and offered it to him, without
allowing him to take the dainty morsel. Stepping
backwards she decoyed him gradually away till he flapped
over the edge, and her object was attained. This was
the first time her suspicions had been aroused, and I
feared that she might make a practice of decoying the
Eaglet thus away from the camera, so decided to give
the birds a long rest and to ask the stalker to leave the
eyrie quiet till I returned. Before leaving I replaced
the Eaglet in the nest, and in doing so noticed that the
first dark feathers on his wings were now sprouting.
A month had now gone by since he left the shell.

A fortnight passed before I saw the Eaglet again. He
was half covered with short thick feathers, while the
quills of others could be seen sprouting through the
down. He was at least twice as big as when I had seen
him last and had become as savage as a young tiger,
crouching down at my approach and opening his huge

A GOLDEN EAGLE. 29

beak in rage. A young hare, half-plucked, but not
opened, was lying beside him, and under the rock were
the remains of a grouse and of a rabbit, which had
probably already served for breakfast. I saw no signs
of his parents till about 2 o’clock, when his mother
brought in the hindquarters of a full grown hare,
deposited it on the ledge and retired. The Eaglet
had rushed forward to the edge of the rock to meet
her and seemed disappointed when she flew away,
but consoled himself by making a hearty meal on
the fleshy parts of the hare’s legs. He was now
fast gaining strength, but had not yet learnt to stand
on the prey and to grip it with his feet. As usual,
the day was dark and gloomy, with heavy showers
of rain and sleet.

After his feast the Eaglet walked round the edge of the
nest and began to play. He behaved exactly like a child
thrown upon its own resources for amusement and com-
pelled to fall back upon any handy article as a toy.
Small pieces of heather in this case served his purpose,
and he appeared to enjoy lifting them from the ground
and throwing them down again. He also picked pieces of
moss from the rocks and only desisted from this occupa-
tion after having completely stripped the walls of the
eyrie. He then began to make the most comical grimaces,
turning his head sideways and upwards at the same time.
His manceuvres were so diverting that I had much
difficulty in restraining myself from laughing, and a
chuckle which escaped me involuntarily on one occasion
caused him to stiffen momentarily into an attitude of
attention.

He next began to make his toilet, carefully removing
all the loose down, which was now freely coming
away. This was accomplished with the aid of his
beak, and, the task completed to his satisfaction, he
lay down and went to sleep. At 6.15 he began
to call for his mother, and from his movements it

30 THE HOME-LIFE OF

was evident that she was hovering round. At last
he gained courage and, probably for the first time
in his life, ventured to the edge of the abyss and
watched her circling in the depths below (Plate 14).
His attitude and voice now showed that she was
approaching, and in a few moments she dropped in
again and sat for a short time on the far side of
the nest. She had brought no more food, and evidently
considered that he had eaten sufficient for the day, for
she removed the remains of the hare when she departed.
After this the Eaglet went to sleep again under
the ledge, and when she returned at 8.30 made
no movement and showed only by a faint cheeping
that he was aware of her presence. She flapped in
and out several times during the next hour, and at
9.30 took up her position for the night in a
magnificent attitude, which, with a long exposure of
about Io sec. at F.8, I secured. Watching the eyrie
thus in the twilight (Plate 15 (@)) she presented a
perfect picture of a devoted mother prepared to guard
her young from all the perils of the coming night.
And always she gazed outwards as though fearing
danger from the far side of the corrie.

I now decided to spend the rest of the night in my
hiding-place, and had fallen into a doze when a voice
from below drew my attention. The head stalker,
anxious at my protracted absence, had climbed up to
the eyrie and now persuaded me to return to the lodge.
At his appearance the Eagle had vanished, and I now
consented to accompany him and get a few hours sleep
before daybreak.

At 2 a.m. I started off again, and reached the eyrie
in a thick white mist. Warned by previous experience
I approached with great caution, for being alone it
was essential that I should not be seen entering the
“bothy.” I had now ascertained that the Eagles, on
seeing me go to the eyrie, did not venture to return till

A GOLDEN EAGLE. 31

somebody walked away, thus allaying their suspicions.
Fortunately they are unable to count, and it is said that the
only birds which possess this power are the Hooded Crows.

Once safely ensconced in my hiding-place it was an
easy matter to close up the opening with heather from
inside, and in the grey mist of dawn I sat down to wait
for the Eagles’ return. The Eaglet was still asleep, and
there was no sign of his parents. At 5.20 his mother
appeared and stood on the far side of the eyrie gazing
at her sleeping offspring. Between 6 and 7 o’clock
she paid three visits, on each occasion removing refuse
from the nest. Then slowly the mist cleared, and the
sun lit up the eyrie with unaccustomed brilliance. The
Eaglet, as though aroused by its welcome rays, lifted his
head and gazed upwards. Again she settled beside him,
and the sleepy youngster emerged from under the rock
(Plate 16). She had brought him a grouse for breakfast,
and now, after tearing it open, she devoured the entrails,
and, leaving the rest of it with him, she flew away.

At 2.5 p.m. she dropped in again, and this time brought
him a young hare, for once in a way unplucked. This
she deposited and departed. Immediately afterwards the
cock settled on the far edge of the nest with a ptarmigan
in his grip, and, as though she realized that she had
omitted an important duty, his mate again appeared
and began to pluck the hare. The speed with which
this was accomplished was almost incredible, and in a
few minutes the carcase was ready for the Eaglet. The
cock now departed, and almost at the same moment
she followed his example. The Eaglet had meanwhile
been very excited, running from one parent to the other,
uncertain from which to expect food. He now attempted
to open the carcase of the leveret for himself, but his futile
efforts to accomplish this evidently attracted his mother’s
attention, for she returned again and fed him with
the ptarmigan, as usual ‘ wolfing” the entrails herself.
I saw nothing more of her till dusk, when she dropped

32 THE HOME-LIFE OF

in for a moment and vanished as quickly as she had come.
After this she no longer watched the eyrie at night,
but invariably looked in at dusk to inspect the sleeping
Eaglet and generally cleaned the nest at dawn, removing
carcases and the castings of the Eaglet.

On the following day the Eaglet was again asleep when
I arrived, and was hardly awake when his mother came
at 8 a.m. On this occasion she brought no food,
but a couple of hours later appeared with a grouse.
She had evidently already devoured part of this bird
before bringing it to the eyrie and left the remainder for
her offspring. He devoured it greedily, and now began
to stand on the prey, holding it firmly with his talons
while tearing at its flesh. At 3.10 p.m. she brought him
another grouse and laid it at his feet. A young hare,
only half-plucked, was brought by the cock at 5.30, and
this was uneaten when I left the eyrie. During the
intervals between his meals the Eaglet played the same
little games which I described before, and his energy
was obviously increasing day by day, From now
onwards hares and rabbits were sometimes brought only
partially plucked, and some fur was swallowed regularly
by the Eaglet.

My next visit was on June 29th, and I found a con-
siderable quantity of remains of grouse and rabbits at
the eyrie, which, however, the female removed between
6 and 7 o’clock. At 8.40 she brought a fresh
ptarmigan, but the Eaglet was not hungry and scarcely
noticed her approach. At 10.15 the cock brought a
grouse, and still the young one slept peacefully. A
friend of mine now appeared upon the scene and
was requested to throw these carcases over the rock,
as I wished to see what the result would be. About
three o’clock the Eaglet became hungry and began to
search for food, finally standing upright and screaming
for his supper. His mother heard him and returned to
ascertain the cause of his outcries, and seemed immensely

A GOLDEN EAGLE. 33

surprised to find the larder empty (Plate 17). She sat
still for a moment and then vanished, having evidently
thought out a plan of campaign. Almost immediately
she once more lit upon the ledge, and the Eaglet tore
ravenously at the grouse which she had brought. Her
short absence seemed to indicate that she had the prey
ready prepared in some storehouse, which indeed we found
later in a steep rock at no great distance from the eyrie.

In thick mist and rain the Eaglet woke on the following
morning and to his extreme annoyance found that the
larder was again empty. During his slumbers I had
approached unnoticed, and now, seeing that he was
hungry, threw him a rabbit’s leg which I had brought for
the purpose. He seized it ravenously and was on the
point of tearing a strip of flesh from the bone when
his mother settled on the nest and seizing it in her beak,
bore the coveted morsel away. Doubtless she thought
that the leg had been overlooked by her when house-
cleaning at daybreak.

Shortly afterwards the cock appeared with a grouse,
and the two Eagles, father and child, stood side by side
upon the ledge (Plate 18), and the picture which I then
obtained shows clearly the size of the Eaglet at this
stage, when he was about seven weeks old. ‘The rain
was now descending in torrents and the mist closed
in around the eyrie. The Eaglet, after a liberal break-
fast of grouse, retired to the shelter of the ledge,
and I, following his example, returned home for
rest and sleep, my supply of plates being exhausted.

The last month of the Eaglet’s long sojourn at the
eyrie opened with a day of brilliant sunshine, to which,
in his gloomy abode, he was unaccustomed. There was
hardly a breath of wind, and the rays of heat, reflected
from the rocks, penetrated even into my hiding-place,
bringing to life many biting insects which henceforward
caused me considerable discomfort. They had doubtless
found their way hither from the eyrie, which was now

34 THE HOME-LIFE OF

swarming with vermin, and several times during the
day the Eaglet found it necessary to scratch himself
violently, while it was only with the greatest difficulty
that I refrained from following his example. At 9.15
his mother, her plumage radiant in the sunshine, came
in to see if more food was required, and took away with
her the carcase of a grouse which was nearly finished.
At 10.7 she brought him a rabbit’s leg, which he picked
clean at intervals during the course of the next hour.
This he evidently regarded as a very unsatisfactory
breakfast, for, after performing his toilet in the usual
way and removing a considerable quantity of loose down
from among his feathers, he began to flap his wings
violently and then cried incessantly, like a child who
has not had enough to eat.

At 1 o’clock she came in again with a huge brown
rat in her talons, and of this dainty the youngster made
short work. He then indulged in a siesta under the rock
out of the rays of the sun, and at 2.35 woke up to find the
cock standing on the ledge beside him. He had brought
part of a young grouse, which also the Eaglet devoured. At
5.10 p.m. the female looked in again, but brought no food.

The sun was now setting and the nest was again almost
in shadow. As the last beams of the sun flickered
through the corrie, the cock lit again upon the ledge
and jerked forward a small lump of red flesh (Plate 15 (d))
into the nest. This turned out to be the headless body
of a small bird, probably a lark or some similar species,
but as it was clean plucked I could not be certain as to
its identity. This was the only occasion on which I
saw prey carried in the beak, and the characteristic
attitude assumed by the cock while jerking the prey
forward should be noted.

At 5 o’clock on the following morning the Eaglet
was still asleep, but shortly after my arrival his mother
dropped in suddenly, and I had barely time to slip a
plate into position when the Eaglet came to meet her

A GOLDEN EAGLE. 35

from under the rock. At 9.11 she brought him the hinder
portion of a rabbit, and he devoured this with relish,
though there was not enough meat on the bones to
satisfy his appetite. At 9.40 she dropped in again,
but brought no prey, and the Eaglet retired to the
shelter of the overhanging ledge during a terrific rain-
storm which now swept down the corrie. This con-
tinued till 1 o’clock, and at intervals during the storm
the Eaglet played his comical little games with pieces
of heather, while the dried-up blades of grass which
lined the nest also gave him much amusement.

At 1.5 the cock brought a young grouse, and his
offspring devoured the dainty morsel—bones, legs, claws
and all. With the legs he had much difficulty, first
lifting them up in his own foot and inspecting them,
then swallowing them in turn with a great effort. These
were probably the first bones he had ever swallowed,
and, apparently delighted with his success, he turned
his attention to the rabbit’s legs, but took some time
to consider the matter, turning a leg over and over with
his foot and examining it most carefully from every
point of view. At last, however, half-choking himself
in the attempt, he swallowed it whole, and stood for
some time gulping and struggling to get it down his
throat. When it was safely over he seized the other leg,
but apparently thought better of it and decided that
it was too big a mouthful. At 2.15 his mother came in
and looked at the remaining leg, while the Eaglet,
ravenously hungry, screeched for more food. She,
however, seemed angry with him, and picking up the
leg in her beak offered it to him, becoming quite annoyed
when he refused to take it. This scene was most amusing,
for it was quite plain that she thought he had no business
to screech for more food while this leg remained.
Eventually, as if to show him how to do it, she tore it
apart at the middle joint, devouring half of it and decamp-
ing with the remainder.

36 THE HOME-LIFE OF

Six minutes later she returned and offered the in-
furiated youngster a bunch of heather (Plate 19), which
she deposited beside him. She then brought a large
bunch of coarse grass, which was likewise laid upon the
ledge. The Eaglet was still crying for food, and it
almost seemed as if, having failed in her hunting, she
was trying to appease him with offerings of heather and
grass. Probably, however, her real object was to rebuild
the nest, which had now become quite flat from the
continual trampling of the bird’s feet. The Eaglet at
this stage closely resembled the surroundings of the nest,
which was now sprinkled with feathers, down and
droppings.

In torrents of rain I reached the eyrie again on the
7th of July. At the nest were only the remains of a
rabbit, partially devoured. Hoping against hope that the
storm might pass, I waited in my hiding-place, though
now almost soaked to the skin. At 10.30 the Eaglet,
which had hitherto been sleeping in the shelter of the
ledge, looked up and began to call loudly. His mother,
dripping and bedraggled, dropped in suddenly and left
a grouse in the eyrie, but the Eaglet, which had rushed
eagerly to meet her, was afraid of the downpour, and
crouched down again under the ledge. The wind
soughed down the corrie and the mist settled upon
the eyrie, while below me the burn roared in spate.
Between 2 and 3 o’clock the cock brought another
grouse, and the female appeared shortly afterwards with
a third. At that appearance the Eaglet only raised
his head and cheeped in a low tone, as though he knew
well that the storm had not come to an end.

A heavy mist clung to the rocks around the eyrie at
daybreak on the following morning, and a fine drizzle
set in later. At 5.30 a.m. the female brought in a
grouse, and the Eaglet rushed to her feet (Plate 20),
throwing himself down in the attitude shown in the
photograph, pecking vigorously at the carcase. This was

A GOLDEN EAGLE. 37

invariably his custom when very hungry, and it will
be seen that his wings are slightly spread to cover
the prey. Although he was alone in the eyrie, it was
obviously his object to keep the prey to himself, and the
inherited instinct to prevent his brothers or sisters from
securing the coveted morsel shows its influence on his
attitude. She then retired and left him to enjoy his
meal, but the cock brought him half a young rabbit
about an hour later. The Eaglet, his crop being full,
stood for a short time gorged and sated with food. He
then decided to go for a walk, and, with somewhat
uncertain footsteps, waddled slowly down the far side
of the nest and disappeared from my sight. Wonder-
ing what the parents would think of this proceeding,
I sat awhile longer in my hiding-place, and at 1.50 was
rewarded by the sight of his mother hovering above
the nest. She settled on the ledge and looked around
her in surprise, wondering what had become of her
offspring (Plate 21). The eyrie was empty, the young
Eagle had gone—whither ?

She stood there for some time listening, uncertain
how to act, with a young grouse held in her foot, listening
for the sound of the voice of her truant child. She
heard him at length, cheeping from the ledge beyond
the nest, where I could now see him standing upright,
calling lustily with all his might. In a moment she
had vanished, bearing with her the prey, and I saw her
settle again beside the Eaglet, but out of reach of the
camera. Once more she flew away, and as dusk came on
a heavy shower of rain drove the Eaglet back to the nest.

My next visit, on the gth, was chiefly marked by the
fact that the Eaglet was now practising using his wings,
and, standing erect with his legs well apart, flapped
vigorously and continuously for some seconds on end
several times during the day. This exercise is evidently
the means by which strength is gained in the wings and
legs, the muscles of the latter being strengthened by

38 THE HOME-LIFE OF

the continual jumping which accompanies the flapping
action. In this connection it is worth noting that
the old birds spring, rather than fly, from the nest, then
spreading their wings and swooping for the first few
yards slightly downwards till sufficient impetus to carry
them on their flight has been gained. The wings are
not spread until after the spring has been made, though
the two actions are so rapid that a casual observer might
well think them simultaneous.

At 10.30 he began to devour a rabbit which was in
the eyrie when I arrived, and the whole carcase (which
was that of a young one) vanished down his capacious
throat—bones and head included. He had now learnt
to tear the hind legs apart at the joint as his mother had
shown him on a previous occasion, and this knowledge
considerably facilitated the progress of his meal.

At 12.15 the cock brought him a young grouse, and
he fell upon it with great gusto. The cock stepped
backwards to the edge of the nest and watched him
enjoying his meal (Plate 22), apparently deriving much
pleasure from the spectacle, and well-pleased with his
offspring’s progress. On leaving the eyrie he carried
away the carcase of a grouse, the only occasion on which
I ever saw the male bird thus employed. The Eaglet
finished his meal in peace, and then again walked away
from the nest to the same place as before, thus preventing
me from obtaining any further pictures. In order to
prevent him from repeating this manceuvre, I now
erected a small barrier on the far side of the eyrie, and
left him in peace for the day.

On the 12th, at 6 o’clock, I found him awake and
exceedingly hungry, calling for food when I appeared,
standing watching for his mother’s return (Plate 23).
There was nothing to eat in the eyrie, and in a short
time he again attempted to go for a walk, and, to my
great annoyance, succeeded in climbing the barrier and
began to gorge himself on the remains of a hare which

A GOLDEN EAGLE. 39

had been deposited outside the eyrie since my departure
on the previous day. On the following morning, finding
him again in the nest, the barrier was altered and a few
stones were added. ‘This proved successful and enabled
me to complete my observations. It should be noted,
however, that at this stage it is the habit of the young
Eagles to walk about the ledges near the eyrie, when
their surroundings permit of it, during the middle hours
of the day, returning to the nest at night.

At 9.20 the Eaglet’s mother brought him a grouse,
and out of curiosity I timed him while he devoured it.
The meal lasted exactly twenty minutes, the breast
bone only being left, claws and legs following the flesh
down his capacious throat. After about an hour’s
sleep the Eaglet again went through his flapping exercises,
and then, his work being over, played for some time like
a child.

At 11.45 the female returned with the hindquarters
of a large hare, one leg of which the Eaglet deliberately
swallowed with much relish, and after this had been
successfully accomplished he lay down as if to sleep,
though his restless eye, searching the air around at
intervals, belied his lethargic attitude.

At 3.5 his mother appeared again and brought him
another grouse, this time obviously an old one. In
the photograph (Plate 24) we see him in the character-
istic attitude assumed while pecking at the prey, which,
though out of sight in the picture, she held in her foot.
The Eaglet then indulged in another huge meal, and
retired to the shelter of the ledge for a rest. He was
aroused from his slumbers in the evening at 5.30 by her
again, and the two Eagles, mother and son (Plate 25),
stood side by side on the edge of the abyss, the youngster
being now almost fully fledged and nearly as big as his
parents. His movements, however, were still clumsy and
his appearance somewhat spoilt by the constant rains.
After some minutes, during which the birds sat in a

40 THE HOME-LIFE OF

listening and watchful attitude, she left him for the night,
taking away with her a huge casting which he had ejected.

During the morning of the 13th two visits of the
female were recorded, at 9.20 and at 11.45, on both of
which occasions she brought the Eaglet a grouse. A
deluge of rain interfered with photography, but during
a lull in the storm, at about 4 o’clock, she dropped in
with the hindquarters of a full-grown hare, rousing the
Eaglet from his afternoon’s siesta (Plate 26). After she
had taken her departure, he settled down once more
under the ledge and was still in this position when
I returned on the following morning. This day passed
somewhat uneventfully, but in the afternoon the
mother brought a young grouse in her talons, while
at the same time she carried in her beak a morsel
of red flesh (Plate 27), with which she endeavoured to
beguile him away. He wondered what she held in her
foot, but she refused to satisfy him, and gradually walked
away towards the stones which barred his progress to
the next ledge. Standing on them, with the prey
still firmly held in her talons, she offered him the morsel
of meat from her beak, but backed suddenly to the ledge
below before he could seize it. He was now furious and
flapped his wings in unavailing protest, eventually
attempting to follow her over the rampart. She
encouraged him in his endeavours by coming nearer with
fragments of flesh from time to time, and this most
fascinating scene was ultimately brought to a close by
the Eaglet, half-climbing, half-flying to the top of one of
the stones, whence, rendered desperate by the sight of the
red meat, he jumped down to the ledge below. She now
allowed him to devour the prey, her object having
been successfully accomplished. I therefore rebuilt the
barrier, making it more formidable, as it was evident
that the Eagles were determined to induce their offspring
to take his regular exercise.

On the next morning a gale was raging, but the mist had

A GOLDEN EAGLE. 41

cleared and a bright sun was breaking through the clouds,
the unaccustomed warmth rousing the Eaglet from his
dreams. At a quarter to eight he began to search for
food, and discovering a hare’s leg with a fair quantity
of flesh on it, proceeded to devour the titbit. He was
tearing the meat from the bone when the cock suddenly
and quite unexpectedly appeared upon the scene,
bringing the hindquarters of another hare (Plate 28).
This was the only occasion on which I saw the Eaglet
surprised by the arrival of his parents, for he generally
saw or heard them long before they appeared. I
had barely time to secure the picture when the great
bird of prey disappeared as silently as he had come.
During the long interval which elapsed before the
female’s next visit, the youngster gorged himself, slept
and indulged in flying exercises alternately, on one
occasion succeeding in balancing himself insecurely upon
a stone (Plate 29), evidently thinking that he was in
a very dangerous position indeed. ‘This was the first
occasion on which I saw him use his wings to reach a
point of vantage, and it became evident that the stones
which I had placed on the far side of the nest would soon
become useless as a means of restricting his daily rambles.

As the days went on the Eaglet’s strength gradually
increased and the last remnants of down vanished from
among his pinions. ‘There was still down on his body,
among the feathers of the back and round the crop,
also at the root of the tail and under the wings. The
long black pinion feathers were growing rapidly, and
the weight of his body alone prevented him from
taking flight. He was now nine weeks old, and expect-
ing daily to find him gone I watched his progress
closely, and during this period noted that on an
average his parents paid him three visits each day with
prey in their talons, but that they had now ceased to
remove the remnants of his meals from the eyrie, leaving
all refuse to accumulate.

42 THE HOME-LIFE OF

On the 19th, however, the Eagles decided that the
position was becoming intolerable, and during the whole
day they placed prey, grouse and hares, on the far
side of the barrier, at intervals tempting the youngster
with the sight of some tempting morsel. Rendered
desperate by hunger, he eventually flapped and climbed
round the barrier, and I now realized that nature must
take her course and that the time had come for my
feathered friend to leave the nest. I therefore removed
the barrier and allowed the Eaglet to enjoy his little
walks as before.

At length there came a day when the Eaglet’s wings
carried him for the first time to the top of my hiding
place, from which point he surveyed the corrie, and
began to take food here with him to devour on his new
perch. As before, he retired at night to the shelter of
the ledge, and waited here till his parents appeared with
prey. But day by day his journeys became longer, and
he flapped along the ledges with ever-increasing strength
and activity, though handicapped in his progress towards
maturity by the continual rain and the cold wet
mist which hung ever like a shroud upon the hills
around.

A typical day (July 23rd) may be chosen to illustrate
his programme at this stage. In the eyrie, now filthy
beyond description and swarming with vermin, he had
spent the previous night, and, the sky for once in a way
being comparatively clear, he stood waiting for his
mother’s return. ‘The carcase of a grouse and a few
hares’ legs engaged his attention from time to time,
but he was evidently waiting for fresh food, and in due
course his expectation was fulfilled. She came in once
more, fearless of danger, bringing the hindquarters of
a rabbit to serve for his morning meal. Settling on
the far side of the nest, she flapped her wings repeatedly,
as if giving him a flying lesson (Plate 30). The Eaglet,
now ravenous, seemed to grasp her meaning, and for

A GOLDEN EAGLE. 43

the first time I saw him on the wing. For one brief
second he flew clumsily towards her, then lit on
his feet again at her side, following her again over the
ledge as she backed away. They were now beyond
my sight, and on leaving my hiding-place I found
him devouring the rabbit at a considerable distance
from the nest, after which he flapped still further
away, seeming to revel in his newly-gained strength
and powers of flight. Wherever he stopped during
the day his parents found him without the
slightest difficulty, alighting wherever they had seen
him last and listening intently till they heard his
voice.

For a week or more a heavy mist hung around the
Eagles’ home, but at last there came a night when the
white veil was swept from the hills by a wild gale from
the north. At midnight the moon peered through a
rift in the clouds, and, hoping for the best, I started again
for the eyrie at daybreak. Like a red ball of fire the
sun leaped up in the east, and the tops of the distant
mountains gleamed in its rays, clad thinly in a white
garb of mist. The nest was empty when I arrived, and
for a moment I feared that the young Eagle had gone.
A brief search, however, discovered him on the edge of
the cliff close to my hiding-place, where he was busily
devouring a grouse, freshly killed since daybreak. For
the last time I crept into my hiding-place, and the young
Eagle, now suspicious of any sound, flapped back slowly
into the nest. A red dawn spells rain, and, sure enough,
before an hour had passed, the sky became darkened
and a steady downpour began once more. ‘The hours
passed slowly, and the Eaglet stood beneath the ledge
which had sheltered him from so many storms throughout
the summer months. At length he stepped forward
to the edge of the cliff and gazed intently upwards,
at the same time uttering the low cheeping note with
which he had always greeted his parents’ return. It

44 THE HOME-LIFE OF

was little harsher, though a trifle louder, than the cry
with which as a babe in white down he had hailed their
coming, and the small voice proceeding from so large
a bird seemed now somewhat incongruous. Then suddenly
a dark form flashed up the corrie and his mother swung
past on silent wings. She circled round and round, as
though annoyed at finding him still in the nest, then
settled on the rocks beyond and tried to tempt him from
his fastness. But the Eaglet was unwilling to obey,
for his hunger had been appeased, and still the rain
pattered down pitilessly outside the eyrie. She rose
once more into the air and flew towards him, almost
buffeting him with her wings as she swooped past the nest.
Again and again she hovered round, and then a wild,
weird cry rang echoing down the glen. For the first
time I had heard the yelp of the adult Eagle, the voice
of the Queen of Birds calling to her young. Thrice
was the note repeated, then again silence reigned for
a while. The Eaglet cheeped continuously till, as
though seized by some irresistible impulse, he flapped
to the very edge of the abyss and turned his head from
side to side, listening to her call (Plate 31). And now he,
too, changed his cry, his voice seemed to break, and the
adult yelp, though in a lower and feebler key, burst
from his throat. The Eagles called to each other,
yelp answered yelp as they held strange converse in
this wild mountain solitude. The young Eagle gazed
around him as though taking a last farewell of his birth-
place, spread out his giant wings (Plate 32) and vanished
for ever from my sight among the ledges below. And
the yelping ceased, and again there was silence.

The Eaglet had left the nest and had flown. He had
spent eleven weeks in the eyrie and now entered on a
new stage of his career, through which I could not follow
him. No longer could the camera record his adventures
or pursue him in his wanderings. There are scenes in
his life-story which no mortal eye shall witness and

A GOLDEN EAGLE. 45

secrets of which the key lies perchance in a few shrivelled
bones on some rocky ledge. Could we follow him on
his wanderings we should see his first lessons in hunting,
how his ’prentice efforts failed and how at length his
clumsy wings bore him down the corrie in search of prey.
We should see how for long weeks his parents fed him
and how they still placed beside him a juicy grouse or
a succulent hare when August was well advanced. We
may see him perchance as we wander through the forest
sitting upon a rock, a prince in his own right, the heir of
the King of Birds. We may stalk him on a stormy day
sheltering below some ledge resembling the one which
shielded him from the spring snowstorms in his infancy.
If we are fortunate we may even watch his attempts to
catch a hare, and see how the red grouse scorn his
clumsy efforts to take them on the wing. We may even
witness the last and strangest scene in this drama of
an Eagle’s life, when the devoted parents, who for five
long months have tended their offspring with loving care,
turn on him as on a foe and drive him forth into the
outer world.

Notre.—Since the first edition was published the
author has been informed that the young Eagle was
seen again in the eyrie on several occasions, and it is
probable that he returned at night and during severe
storms to the shelter of the ledge. Naturalists will be
glad to know that he was seen flying in company with
his parents during the autumn.

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